Variable-speed drive for paper-making machines and the like



Sept. 30, 1930. F. o. q. CHORLTON 5,

VARIABLE SPEED DRIVE FOR PAPER MAKING "ACHINES AND THE LIKE Fi led Jan. 22, 1929 a gja llllilllllj v M" 07m g Patented Sept. 1930 iitiUNiTEDhSTiAlEs FRANK OSCAR LEVI GHORLTON, or BURY, ENGLAivn" VARIABLE-SPEED DRIVE non rArnR-ir'ekiive MAcnInEs nnn 'rnii trxn I Application med January 22, 1929, Serial No.

The invention relates to paper-making machines and such like machines made upof sections which requiretobe varied in speed relatively to the machine as a whole For example, in thecase of a paper'-making.ma-

chine, the sections referred to may comprise l t a travelling web of wire gauze on which the sheet is formed, rotary press rollers tofco'nsolidate the sheet and squeeze out some of the occluded water, a number of steam-heated rotating drying cylinders,a stack of polished rolls'for finishin the surface of the sheet, and

a reel upon whic to Wind the finished mater rial. Variations in the contraction or expansion of the paper under treatment .neces-; ,sitate slight variations in the speeds of the sections relatively to the machine as a whole a as stated. 7 7 n 7 Certain methods hitherto adopted forithis zo' purpose cannot be said to be entirely satisfactory, since in the case of large machines of the class named now employed the power to a be transmitted introduces difficulties in those cases wherein the sections of the machine are r 2 5 driven by belting and'opposite'ly inclinedta} perj'pulleys from'one or more mainldriving shafts. As is wellvknown the widtheof belt which will run satisfactorilyontaper pulleys isstr-ictly limited and the power transmitted is therefore alsQlimited. In

addition, such driving arrangements take up a large amount of space; are wasteful ofpower, and make access toithe driving side of-the paper (or other similarly driven machine) 86 difiicult'. The object of the invention is to provide an epicyclic gear forming one of many of such mounted on a continuous shaft common to them all,andsectionally driven.

Said gear is not only atype by which the 4 major portion ofthe power supplied is trans- -mittedby toothed gearing to the in-driving shaft of the section concerned, but is" coni strained to revolve as one piece when belting of a belt drive of known kind used withthe v 6 gear is at mid-position. In this way relative sectional elevation-pfepicyclic gearing re- 334,3ge, and in Great Britainllareh 13, 1923.: I 7

speeds iofgthe sections are. suitably arranged, V andeach, unit a is readily removable from its position in the line shaft employed to f permit of replacement by another unit in case of breakdown;

"f 50, Thatis to say an'e'picyclic-unitrofgearing is V provided'for each sect ion of the machine in .volved, 'said'units are connected together by a shaft, or sections thereof, driven in suitable -manner, such units beinggof atypegwherein'the 55:

majorportioniof'the'powersuppliedistrans; mitted ;;througlrtlie' epicy'clics to" the in-driw ing sha fts ofthe section's named, only minor portion'of thep'oweribeing utilized for vary- V ingthe speed ofisaid epicyclics, through the so less in diagram form, of sections iof atp'aper-p 74h.

making machine, with unit drives *applied thereto accordingto the present 'inventionQQ i'evl ithxrefererice tosaid drawings, a'jis the main. 'drivinglshaft, and b aloosely mounted sleeveformingipart ofa whee'l cinfgear' with &1; dual re ms of pinionsd;'1mse1y mounted on V i shafts e whichshaftsare fixed aframe or box k. pairjof-theipinions d engage a gear wheehkkeyedto' sliafta. Box his gear gearj wheels f and chain 9;; the formerlbe- 1 s f e a P t h, am e an i h b is revolublymounted as shown; Shaftm has attached to it aflcone pulley: a belt connecenxv her con pu ey 10f Qque s Z keyedxto shaft a. A clutch devicemjon the latter may :be operated to connect {sleeve by with sleeves carrying, Worm 22.1 a This 'Worm is showningeariwith-wormwheel g, attached 00,

connectionwith a secondary shaft 11 means 8 v to the in-driving shaft 4) of the supposed machine section to be driven.

In Figs. 2 and 3, a is the main driving shaft, and U are the several unit epicyclic drives of the type hereinbefore described.

In Fig. 3 the shaft a of continuous form is driven by means of a prime mover in the form of a steam engine indicated at 'w through belting as. In Fig. 2 an electric motor 2 is substituted, shaft (1 being in sectional form.

In Fig. 3 more p-articularly the web of wire gauze of the paper-makingmachine is indicated at 1, a series of drying rollers or cylinders are shown at 2 and a stack of polished rolls at 3.

Each of such likesections of the machine are assumed "to be driven through a unit U described.- a I ,1

Said units are not only capable of bringing about variability in speed as stated but the variations are such as to beparfii-cularly applicable to paper-making :and like machines, whserev the want ofiex treme'ly slight adjustments of speed named may result destruction of the material being produced in said machines.

YVith 'present day forms of paper-ma king machines involving very considerable power l to drive them, the need of sectional driving units without Waste of energy toxan-excesslve extent, becomes of increasing importance, especially having regard-to the number of hours the machines are expected to run, with freedom from stoppages. In Fig. 1 is to be seen belt pulleys :of equal ratios at the mid-position indicated of the belt, and also wheels 7 and g of equal sizes. Therefore for said mid-position the epicycli'c :gear em ployed will revolve ason-e piece. This means that for positionson either side of the'midposition named, the relative movements of the parts of the gearare not excessive- In this way excessive wear is avoided, or Tess of energy prevented.

For use with a number "of like gear units mounted upon a :sectional'ly driven continuous' driving shaft common to them 'alll, for driving sections of a paper-making machine; an ep-ioyclic gear comprising a=;drivi-ng ele-' ment keyed to said driving shaft,- :pairs of pinions revolu bly mounted: .on' a revolnb-le ondary shaft-s respectively, the mid-position of the belting on the cone pulleys corresponding to the movement of the gear as one piece, motion transmitted from the sleeve herein referred to, to a gear wheel on the in-driving shaft of the paper'making machine, by means of a worm on the driving shaft, the sleeve of said Worm being in clutch connection with the loosely mounted sleeve already described, as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

FRANK OSCAR LEVI CHURLTON. 

